Trainer David Hayes has confirmed that Group 1 winner Catchy will next make an appearance in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 16th.
Catchy will make her second campaign appearance in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes at Flemington on September 16th. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
A veteran of only six career starts since making her debut in December last year, Catchy trialled well in the lead-up to her Spring Carnival campaign before resuming for an agonizingly close second behind Crown Witness in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) on August 19th.
Hayes is pleased with the benefit that the daughter of Fastnet Rock has taken from her first-up hit-out and revealed that a berth in the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas is at stake when she steps out in the Danehill Stakes field.
“She’s going to have her next start in the Danehill on the 16th,” Hayes told AAP.
“She’ll be really hard to beat. And if she beats them, I’d say we’ll go for the boys.
“And if she doesn’t we’ll go conservative and go against the girls.”
Catchy was kept to private gallops prior to making her racing debut, but immediately stamped herself as a filly to follow when she stormed home to win a 1000m sprint at The Valley on December 9th.
Returning in early January to win the Peter Siggins Plate (1100m) by close to three lengths, Catchy made an ideal transition to black type company with a last-gasp win over Limestone in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude F (1100m) on February 11th.
Sent off a leading contender in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on February 25th, Catchy mustered a signature turn of foot to beat Pariah on the line, but she failed to handle the heavy going or beat a single runner home in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1200m) in March and was returned to the paddock.
2017 Danehill Stakes nominations are due to be taken by Monday morning, September 11th.
Catchy is likely to face the likes of Jukebox and Esperance in this year’s Danehill Stakes field.
